Chair and ganging structure

ABSTRACT

A chair having a back and seat structure mounted on a frame structure and having a pair of legs on each side of the chair depending therefrom for engagement with a supporting surface. Ganging clips are movably mounted on certain legs of the chair for engagement with legs of an adjacent similar chair to gang same in side-by-side relation. The ganging clips each have an open portion for receiving and retaining the leg of said adjacent chair. The ganging clips are movable from a ganging position to a retracted position and are suitably limited in movement to the selected positions.

United States Patent [191 Lieberman et al.

[ CHAIR AND GANGING STRUCTURE [75] Inventors: Edgar M. Lieberman; Bobbie L.

Snyder, both of Kansas City, Mo.

[73] Assignee: Fixtures Mfg. Corp., Kansas City,

22 Filed: Feb. 20, 1973 [21] App]. No.: 334,071

[52] US. Cl. 297/248 [51] Int. Cl. A47c 15/00 [58] Field of Search 49/394; 292/238, 218, 213,

[451 July 23, 1974 Primary Examiner -Paul R. Gilliam Attorney, Agent, or Firrrr--Fishburn, Gold & Litman 57 ABSTRACT A chair having a back and seat structure mounted on a frame structure and having a pair of legs on each side of the chair depending therefrom for engagement with a supporting surface; Ganging clips are movably mounted. on certain legs of the chair for engagement with legs of an adjacent similar chair to gang same in side-by-side relation. The ganging clips each have an open portion for receiving and retaining the leg of said adjacent chair. The ganging clips are movable from a ganging position to a retracted position and are suitably limited in movement to the selected positions.

6 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures P JUL 2 3 I974 ATENTED 331551 2 or 2 l CHAIR AND GANGING STRUCTURE The principal objects of the present invention are: to provide a chair with ganging clips movably mounted on legs of the chair wherein the ganging clips are movable from a ganging position to a retracted position; to provide such a chair and ganging clips with means to limit the amount of movement thereof; to provide such a chair and ganging clips with means tending to hold the ganging clips in a selected position and more particularly in the ganging position and the retracted position for facilitating ganging of the chairs and storage of the chairs; to provide such a chair and ganging clips that securely holds an adjacent chair in gripping relation yet is easily operated in ganging and unganging the chairs; to provide such ganging clips that are adapted for use on stacking chairs, are removable therefrom and securely hold adjacent chairs in ganged relation while'allowing the chairs to have slight relative movement therebetween to accommodate a floor having minor surface irregularities wherein the ganged chairs are stable; to provide such ganging clips that when swung to the retracted position will prevent accidental contact therewith by a person moving by the chair; and to provide such a chair and ganging clips that are adapted for their intended use, easy to use, sturdy in construction and economical to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the. accompanying drawings wherein are set forth by way of illustration and example certain embodiments of this invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pair of ganged chairs having movable ganging members embodying the present invention.

' FIG. 2 is an enlarged, partial plan view of a ganging clip on a chair leg.

FIG. 3 is a section view of a ganging clip taken along the line 33, FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged elevation view of a ganging clip.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial, view of a ganging clip mounted on a leg showing structural details.

FIG. 6 is a sectionview through a modified formof ganging clip for close connection of chairs taken on the line 6-6, FIG. 7.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, elevation view of the ganging clip illustrated in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of ganged chairs with the modified form of ganging clip.

FIG. 9 is an elevation view of a modified form of the gangingclip shown'in the retracted position.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the modified ganging clip shown in the ganged position. v

FIG. 11 is an elevation view of the modified ganging clip shown in the ganged position. Y

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for. the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriate detailed structure.

The present invention relates to ganging structures for chairs, preferably chairs adapted to be stacked for storage. The reference numerals l and 2 designate similar chairswhich may be selectively ganged in side-byside relation. The chairs 1 and 2 have seats 3, backs 4 and front and rear legs 5 and 6 on each side of the seat 3 and depending relative thereto. It is preferred that the front and rear legs 5 and 6 be inclined relative to each other and diverge downwardly.

In the structure illustrated the chair structure has a unitary structure with seat member and back member 3 and 4 respectively mounted on a frame structure (not shown). The leg members Sand 6 are secured to and depend from the frame structure for supporting the seat and back members. The front and back legs 5 and 6 on each side are inclined outwardly and downwardly forming an inverted V-shape and are spaced outwardly of the sides of the seat member2. Each of the legs 5- and 6 have a glide 7 secured thereto at the bottom of each leg. Ganging clips or leg connectors 8 are movably mounted on afront leg 5 and back leg 6 of the chair 1 and are movable from a ganging position to a retracted position. The connectors 8 are mounted beneath the seat member 3' and have means associated therewith for preventing their movement'longitudinally along the respective legs Sand 6 and are operable to grippingly retain an adjacent chair 1 for holding same in line.

The connectors 8 are each pivotally mounted on a leg 5 or 6 and asillustrated on one side of the chair 1 with each having a bore 9 through one end thereof and having a clip or open portion 10 adjacent the other end of the connector 8. The connector 8 as illustrated is comprised of a sleevemember l1 and half sleeve member 12 connected by a webmember 13 extending therebetween and having opposed flange members 14 preferably integral therewith on opposite sides of the web 13,

I tally.

sleeve 11 and half sleeve 12. The bore 9' extends through the flanges 14 and the sleeve 11 and rotatably receives a portion of a respective leg 5 or 6 therethrough. In the illustrated structure, the clip portion 10 hasachannel like opening extending through the half sleeve 12 and the flanges 14 with a longitudinal axis generally parallel to the axis of the bore 9. The clip portion 10 as illustrated is defined by an interior surface 15 which is generally U-shaped or semi-circular transverse to the axis of the clip portion 10.

In the structure shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 5 inclusive, the connectors 8 provide space between the side-byside ganged chairs 1 and 2. The space allows chair structure such as arm rests and the like to be added to the.'chairs and still permit them to be ganged horizon- In the illustrated structure, as best seen in FIG. 2 and FIG. 5, a leg 6 extends through the bore 9 having the connector 8 suitably mounted thereon. The connectors 8 and the legs 5 and 6 are provided with cooperating abutment portions for limiting the movement therebewith the connectors 8 in place. Preferably, the stop member 23 is secured to a leg 5 or 6 so as to be hidden from view pointing generally toward the respective leg .5 or 6 o'n'the opposite side of the chair 1. The abutment or engagement between the stop member 23 and the end surfaces 17 and 18 and the side surfaces 19 and limits swinging movement and longitudinal movement, respectively, of the connectors 8 relative to the legs 5 and 6.

member'23 whereby the protuberances will retain the connector 8 in a selected position by obstructing or frictionally resisting relative movement from the selected position. In the illustrated structure, the connec- -tor 8 is movable from a ganging position to a retracted position and is held in one of the positions by a'protuberance 25, the ganged position being with the connector 8 pointing outwardly and away from the chair 1 and the retracted position being with the connector 8 pointing generally towardthe other leg 5 or 6 on the same side of the chair 1 so as to be out of the way when desired. In the ganging position the clip portions 10 face generally toward oneanother. The retracted position is best seen in chair 2 inFlG. 1 and the ganging position is best seen in chair 1 in FIG. 1..

Where the chair structure permits-close ganging, the

. connectors 8 are of a short lengthallowing the close ganging. FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 illustrate a connector 8 in a shortened form which permits the close ganging. The

shortened form has a reduced spacing between the clip portion 10. and-the borev 9 and as illustrated they are side-by-side with the web 13 absent. Different spacings between'the clip portion 10 and bore 9 are used to accommodate particular chair structures and spacing requirements. Y

Chairs 1 and 2 are positioned in side-by-siderelation having legs 5 and 6 on one side of chair l'adjacent to corresponding legs 5 and 6 on one side of chair 2. The connectors 8 are moved to a ganging position with the connectors 8 moving in a plane generally normal to the axis of the respective leg 5 or 6 and by raising the side of the chair having the connectors 8 mounted thereon and then sliding the connectors 8 downwardly on the.

adjacent legs Sand 6, the adjacent chairs 1 and 2 are secured in ganged relation. Todisconnect the chairs 1 and 2, the reverse of the ganging procedure is done. The ends 17. and 18 of the slot 16 limit the amount of swinging movement of the connectors 8 whereby with I the stop members 23 in engagement with the'surfaces 18 the connectors .8 securely grip the adjacent legs 5 and 6, within the respective vclip portions 10 securing the chairs 1 and 2 together in line.

FIGS. 8, 9,10 and 11 illustrate a modified form of a movable leg connector 31 to be mounted on legs of chairs which are preferably adapted to be stacked for storage. The numerals l and2-designate similar" chairs which may be; ganged in side-by-side relation and have seats 3 and backs 4 with a front leg 5 and a back leg 6 on each side of the seat 3 and depending therefrom. A leg connector 31 is movably mounted on a front leg 5 and a back leg .6 for selectively grippingly retaining an adjacent leg of a chair in side-by-side relation thereto and holding said chairs in line. The connectors 31 are movable relative to the leg on which they are mounted from a ganging position to a retracted position with the connectors 31 and the respective legs 5 or 6 having cooperative abutment portions to limit the relative move ment.

In the illustrated structure, the connectors 31 have a pair of fingers 33 and 34 at each end thereof, The fingers 34 are opposed and spaced apart for receiving therebetween a leg 5 or 6. A securing device such as a rivet or the like and as illustrated, a bolt extends through apertures (not shown) through'the fingers 34 and the legs 5 and 6 movably or swingably mounting the connectors 31 on the legs 5 and 6 preferably on one side of the chair. A nut 37 is threaded on the bolt to secure the assembly in place. An intermediate body portion 38 extends between the pairs of fingers 33 and 34 connecting same together and as illustrated, the body portion 38 is a channelmember with an open side having upstanding side flanges 39 with a bight portion '40 The fingers 33 are opposed and spaced apart defining a generally U-shaped opening 44 therebetween. The bight 40 has an edge 43 adjacent the fingers 33 that is arcuate and is used for a purpose to be later described. Preferably, the fingers 33 are arcuate curving toward one another whereby the opening 44 therebetween is decreased in .width at a point outwardly of the edge 43 to present an interference to the leg being installed therein or'removed therefrom. The size of the opening increases outwardly of the narrow portion due to the arcuate shape of the fingers 33 thereby providing an enlarged lead-in area to facilitate installation of a leg.

The narrow part of the opening 44 is preferably smaller thanthe diameter of the adjacent leg 5 or 6 while the portion adjacent the edge 43 is approximately the same width as the diameter of the adjacent leg 5 or 6.

The connectors 31 are swung to a ganging position in which they are generally normal to the respective leg 5 or 6 with the edge 41 in abutting engagement with the respective leg 5 or 6 having the opening 44 between the fingers 33 pointing outwardly and away from the side of the chair 1. The chair 2 is moved to a side-by-side in-line relation with the first chair 1 whereby adjacent legs and 6 are forceably urged between The fingers 33, which move elastically away from one another,

through the decreased size opening 44 and into abutment withthe edge 43 of the respective connector 31 whereby the adjacent leg is grippingly held between the fingers 33 holding the adjacent chairs .in line. The narrow spacing between the fingers 33 preferably is less than the, diameter of the adjacent leg 5 or 6 to grippingly retain same therebetween and prevent accidental disengagement. When not in use, the connectors 31 are swung upwardly whereby the fingers 33 are in gripping engagement with the respective leg 5 or 6 on which they are mounted, as best seen in FIG. 9, and the bight 40 is in abutting engagement with the leg 5 or 6 limiting the amount of upward swinging movement of the connector 31 whereby the connectors31 are maintained in the retracted position and out of the way. To disconnect adjacent chairs, the reverse of the connecting procedure is done. The swinging movement of the connectors 31 is in a plane generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the respective legs 5 and 6.

In the illustrated structure in FIGS. 8, 9, and 11, the legs 5 and 6 on each side of the chairs form an inverted V, are spaced outwardly of the sides of the seat member 2 and are adapted for vertical stacking of the chairs whereby'one of the chairs will be positioned on a lower chair. The connectors 31 when in the retracted position prevent interference with the legs of the vertically stacked chairs as is normally found in present chair ganging structures. It is to be noted that the connectors 31 provide for a slight amount of relative movement between ganged chairs while holding same in firm ganged relation allowing for the ganged chairs to be placed on floors having a mildly irregular surface and still having 'a stable ganged structure.

It is to be understood that while We have illustrated and described certain forms of our invention it is not to be limited to the specific forms illustrated and described herein.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent l. A chair-ganging structure for releasably connecting a plurality of chairs by leg connectors comprising:

a. a first chair anda second chair with each having opposed pairs of legs at the sides thereof with each pair of legs diverging downwardly, said chairs being adapted to be positioned in side-by-side relation with adjacent legs in side-by-side relation, said legs on each side of a chair including a front leg and a back leg;

b. a connecting structure coupling one pair of legs of one chair to an adjacent pair of legs of the other chair, said connecting structure including a first clip having an end rotatably mounted on one of said side-by-side front legs below the seat and having an U-shaped open portion remote from the rotatably mounted end to receive and retain the other of said side-by-side front legs, said U-shaped open portion engaging a front surface of said other front c. the connecting structure including a second clip having an end rotatably mounted on one of said side-by-side back legs at a level spaced below the seat and having an U-shaped open portion remote from the rotatably mounted end to receive and retain a portion of the other of said side-by-side back legs, said U-shaped open portion engaging a back surface of said other back said first and second clips being positioned for connecting said adjacent chairs in line, said first and second clips being movable from laterally extending ganging positions to retracted positions;

d. cooperating means on the legs on which the clips are mounted and said clips for limiting the rotative movement of said clips and preventing the U shaped open portions from moving out of engagement with the respective front and back surfaces of said other front and back legs.

2. A ganging structure as set forth in claim 1 includ- 5 ing:

a. means associated with said clips and cooperating with portions of respective said legs on which said clips are mounted for selectively retaining said clips in one of said ganging position and retracted position; b. said movement being swinging movement and said U-shaped open portions being shaped to grippingly retain respective said other legs;

c. said movement limiting means includes abutment portions on said clips and the respective legs, said abutment portions cooperating with one another for limiting movement between said clips and said respective legs. 7

3. A ganging structure as set forth in claim 3 wherein:

a. said clips each having a bore through themovably mounted end, said bore rotatably receiving a leg portion .therethrough for swingably mounting the respective clip thereon whereby said clips swing in a plane generally transverse to the axis of the respective leg.

4. A ganging structure as set forth in claim 3 wherein:

a. said clips are mounted on the front and back legs on one side of said seat, said U-shaped open portions opening generally toward one another then said clips are in the ganging position;

b. said clips extend from the respective front and back legs toward each other when in retracted position.

5. A ganging structure as set forth in claim 4 wherein:

a. each said clip has a through slot opening into said bore said slot having a length corresponding to the amount of swinging movement;

b. said limiting means including a stop member secured to a respective said leg and extending outwardly therefrom, said stop member being received in a respective slot limiting swinging of the respective clip by engaging ends of the slot;

0. said retaining means including a protuberance extending into said slot wherein said slot is narrower than said stop member at said protuberance for resisting movement of said clip from its selected position.

6. A ganging structure as set forth in claim 3 wherein: v

' a. each said clip has a slot opening into said bore, said clip by engaging ends of the slot, said stop member being removable and retaining said clip member on the respective leg. 

1. A chair-ganging structure for releasably connecting a plurality of chairs by leg connectors comprising: a. a first chair and a second chair with each having opposed pairs of legs at the sides thereof with each pair of legs diverging downwardly, said chairs being adapted to be positioned in side-by-side relation with adjacent legs in sideby-side relation, said legs on each side of a chair including a front leg and a back leg; b. a connecting structure coupling one pair of legs of one chair to an adjacent pair of legs of the other chair, said connecting structure including a first clip having an end rotatably mounted on one of said side-by-side front legs below the seat and having an U-shaped open portion remote from the rotatably mounted end to receive and retain the other of said side-byside front legs, said U-shaped open portion engaging a front surface of said other front leg; c. the connecting structure including a second clip having an end rotatably mounted on one of said side-by-side back legs at a level spaced below the seat and having an U-shaped open portion remote from the rotatably mounted end to receive and retain a portion of the other of said side-by-side back legs, said U-shaped open portion engaging a back surface of said other back said first and second clips being positioned for connecting said adjacent chairs in line, said first and second clips being movable from laterally extending ganging positions to retracted positions; d. cooperating means on the legs on which the clips are mounted and said clips for limiting the rotative movement of said clips and preventing the U-shaped open portions from moving out of engagement with the respective front and back surfaces of said other front and back legs.
 2. A ganging structure as set forth in claim 1 including: a. means associated with said clips and cooperating with portions of respective said legs on which said clips are mounted for selectively retaining said clips in one of said ganging position and retracted position; b. said movement being swinging movement and said U-shaped open portions being shaped to grippingly retain respective said other legs; c. said movement limiting means includes abutment portions on said clips and the respective legs, said abutment portions cooperating with one another for limiting movement between said clips and said respective legs.
 3. A ganging structure as set forth in claim 3 wherein: a. said clips each having a bore through the movably mounted end, said bore rotatably receiving a leg portion therethrough for swingably mounting the respective clip thereon whereby said clips swing in a plane generally transverse to the axis of the respective leg.
 4. A ganging structure as set forth in claim 3 wherein: a. said clips are mounted on the front and back legs on one side of said seat, said U-shaped open portions opening generally toward one another then said clips are in the ganging position; b. said clips extend from the respective front and back legs toward each other when in retracted position.
 5. A ganging structure as set forth in claim 4 wherein: a. each said clip has a through slot opening into said bore said slot having a length corresponding to the amount of swinging movement; b. said limiting means including a stop member secured to a respective said leg and extending outwardly Therefrom, said stop member being received in a respective slot limiting swinging of the respective clip by engaging ends of the slot; c. said retaining means including a protuberance extending into said slot wherein said slot is narrower than said stop member at said protuberance for resisting movement of said clip from its selected position.
 6. A ganging structure as set forth in claim 3 wherein: a. each said clip has a slot opening into said bore, said slot having a length corresponding to the amount of swinging movement; b. said limiting means including a stop member removably secured to a respective leg and received in a respective slot limiting swinging of a respective clip by engaging ends of the slot, said stop member being removable and retaining said clip member on the respective leg. 